Juxtaposition
by LoveShinobi-Angelv
Summary: AU. Be careful who you go home with, because the next day they might turn out to be your boss. -Rated for Sexual Content- Noriaki x Hikari Sanosuke x Talia Note: An OC story
1. Intoxication

**Juxtaposition**

_Chapter One_

-Intoxication-

Bars serve many purposes. They are a place of social gathering, a place to get a drink, meet new people, or get plastered to forget a wrong someone else did to you. That is currently what Takata Hikari was doing right now, as she sat in a far corner drinking straight from the bottle of red wine she had ordered about thirty minutes ago. Not one for drinking all the time, she surprisingly had a high tolerance for alcohol, despite her small frame. Her cousin had joked that all the alcohol went to her breasts, as they were the most noticeable feature she had. Second to that were her bright purple eyes and layered white hair, two things that aided in her ability to stand out in a crowd.

She took another swig from the bottle, angrily slamming it back down to the table as she thought of the reason she was here. Her boyfriend of two years had dumped her, because she wasn't affectionate enough for him. She snorted at the memory of his words to her. How _dare_ he say that. She had given him her virginity for crying out loud. It wasn't her fault that he wasn't the animal in bed he thought he was. And what woman wanted to sleep with a man that only cared about pleasing themselves?

But she _had_ cared for him, loved him, even. At least she thought she had. Right now she wasn't so sure. To her, the emotional things were more important than the physical stuff, and so she had made herself believe that she could work past all of that and stay with him despite her lack of orgasm every time they were together. Which was seldom. But then he had gone and gotten some other girl pregnant, and when she'd found out and confronted him, he had laid it all out for her.

Apparently, she cared only for herself, and was selfish. And yet he was the one who had gone and fucked some other bimbo for the past six months in order to 'feel loved and wanted', as he had put it. To him, she was using him for financial gain and status, since he was an aspiring businessman, and was just a tease. She'd given him a 'false' first impression of the type of person she was, since the clothing that she normally wore was tight and revealing in one way or another. Not to mention that when it came down to it, she could flirt even better than an elite hooker. Her philosophy was, if you got it, flaunt it, and that was something she had no problem doing. It wasn't her fault that he never tried to get to know the real her. The woman beneath the tight clothes and amazing body.

In the end, his words had hurt, almost as much as his betrayal. And so she had found the nearest bar, bought herself some expensive wine, and found a seat in a corner where nobody would bother her.

Hikari took a sip from her bottle and let out a sigh as she set it down, a bit more gently this time. Maybe he was right. Maybe there was something wrong with her, since she could never find any satisfaction from their sexual encounters. What if she was broken? She frowned at the thought. There was no way she was going to give that rat-bastard _any_ credit for being right about anything he had said to her earlier tonight. She was a fucking trophy, damnit, and any man would be blessed by god to be able to take her to bed.

She perked up suddenly upon spotting her best friend walking towards her. "Talia!" she called out, waving her over with the hand that was holding her bottle of wine. She laughed and stood a bit shakily, holding her arms wide to hug the blonde. "I see you got my messages. You want some wine? It's reeeaaally good." she said, offering her some of the beverage.

Talia was a willowy girl, having a nice sized chest, though it was nothing compared to her white haired friend. The younger girl shoved the bottle from her face, grimacing at the smell. "You know I don't drink Hikari." Talia said, looking over her friend. She was already past her handling point. Talia brushed some of her long, pale blonde locks behind her ear and focused her amber gaze on a hazy amethyst. "Come on Hikari, it's time to go home."

Hikari frowned. "Why are you trying to be a pity party pooper?" she whined, plopping back down in her seat and taking a long drink.

"Because you don't throw pity parties Hikari." She huffed, "You make fun of girls who are doing what you're doing."

"I'm not doing anything." The pale haired woman crossed her arms. "I can handle my alcohol, thank you very much. I'm not even that drunk."

"Yes you are." Talia glared and grabbed her friend by the hand. "Now come on, I'm taking you home." She said forcefully, turning and nearly colliding against a hard body. The two girls staggered back as the man Talia had bumped into secured and saved his drink. "I'm really sorry."

"It's no problem." He said, sounding extremely dangerous, but in a sexy way. He had dark hair that spiked slightly in every which direction, some of it falling over his clear, jade depths. He was wearing a black V-neck, with a pair of tight dark skinny jeans. He gave them both a smile that was absolutely gorgeous. His gaze shifted from the blonde to Hikari, and his smile turned into a devious grin. "Well hello there." He took her free hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing the back of her hand. "You're extremely gorgeous."

Hikari giggled, a smile coming to her face. "And you're extremely sexy." She said, leaning towards him. "Tell me, Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome, do your skills in bed match your skills in sexiness?"

"Did you really just say that?" he asked, obviously intrigued.

Talia looked between the two and tightened her grip on Hikari's hand. "Hikari…" she warned. "We really should go."

"Shut up Talia." Hikari snapped out, flashing the other woman a glare.

"No, no." the man held up his hand, but then touched his finger beneath her chin. "Your friend is right. You should definitely get out of here." He smirked, pulling his keys out of his pocket and jiggling them a bit. "What do you say I prove just how much I'm going to rock your world?"

A look of delight came to her face. "A confident one, huh?" she asked. "You know, I dated a confident man once, and he couldn't even give me an orgasm. What makes you think you can?" she raised a delicate brow, ignoring the insistent tugging on her hand by her blonde friend.

He leaned forward, a dark smirk on his face. "Because…" he whispered into her ear, "I am the best."

A shiver ran down her spine and she smirked. There was something about him that was setting her system on fire, and she just knew that he was telling her the truth. "Then what are we waiting for?" she asked, wrenching her hand from Talia's grasp. "Let's get out of here."

"Hikari!" Talia almost shrieked. "You don't even know him!"

"Don't worry little blonde one." He said simply, pulling Hikari against him so he could feel all of her body. "I'll take good care of her." And before she could protest again, he was pulling the white haired woman through the crowd and towards the door. He set his glass on a passing tray and once they were outside he took in a deep breath of the night air. He took her to the V.I.P parking and walked up to a sleek black Ducati. "So your name's Hikari, huh?" he asked, grabbing his helmet and fastening it on.

"Yup." She said, examining the bike with a critical gaze. "I've never ridden a motorcycle before." She smiled slightly. "This should be fun."

He lifted up the glass and gave her another once over. "Try not to get too excited from the first ride." He smirked, getting on his bike and patting the spot behind him.

She chuckled, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself as she got on behind him. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed against his back. "I'm not the only one who's getting excited." She snickered, lowering her hand and cupping him through his pants.

The dark haired man growled out, starting his bike and facing forward. "Hold on tight." He ordered, revving the engine before he pulled out of the parking lot and peeled onto the street, speeding towards downtown. Hikari laughed as the wind whipped through her hair, and as they drove to their destination, she rubbed her mystery man's groin slowly, making sure that her other arm was wrapped tightly around him so that she would stay on. From what she could feel he was of an impressive size, and she couldn't wait to see him naked.

They sped up, and she could only surmise that he wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. It took them no time to reach one of the most expensive apartment buildings in the city. He pulled into the parking garage and hit the button for the gate. It creaked slowly, and they were still for only a moment before they pulled in and parked. He took off his helmet and glanced back at her wind-blown hair. "You're going to look even better beneath me." He murmured, letting her get off before he did so.

"Well then lead me to your lair, sir, so we can commence our night of passion." She smirked, running her fingers through her hair to try and tame it once more.

He shook his head and headed towards the elevator, hitting the button. They stood beside one another, in an oddly comfortable silence. The doors opened and they walked in, and the second they closed Hikari was pinned to the wall of the elevator. "You better be as good as you let on Hikari." He said lowly, staring down at her cleavage for a moment. "Though these look absolutely promising." He whispered, kissing her neck as he gripped one of her large breasts in his hand, rubbing his thumb over her hardening nipple.

Hikari whimpered and thrust her chest out towards him, silently begging for more. "I'm going to be the best you ever had." She whispered, gripping his upper arms for support.

"Better be right." He growled lowly, sounding animalistic. He pulled away as the doors opened, looking unaffected by their brief heat of lust. He walked into the hall, which only had one set of double doors in it. "Hurry up." He ordered, already unlocking his door.

She followed after him, entering his apartment once the door was opened. This time when the door closed, she was prepared, and held her hand out to keep him at bay. "I just want one thing to be clear." She said, looking absolutely serious. "If you rip any of my clothes, I'm going to be pissed. This is designer stuff, and I would like it to stay in good condition, got it?"

"If I rip your clothes, it's the last thing you'll be thinking of. Trust me." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. She hardly had any time to admire the insanely large penthouse, because suddenly, they were in his lavish room that was decorated with chrome and black. He shoved her down onto the bed and looked her over for the third time. "Yeah, this is going to be good." He smirked.

Hikari sat up, giving him an adorable pout. "It better be. I have high expectations of you." she said, gripping the hem of her blouse and pulling it over her head, revealing her lacy red bra. She tossed it onto the floor, before returning her violet gaze to him and slipping off her heels. "Do you need help undressing?" she asked, rising to her knees and undoing her pants, letting them fall around her knees and slide off as she moved towards him, leaving her in her matching undergarments. She reached out and grabbed his shirt, lifting it over his head with his help. Then she immediately moved to the waistband of his pants, quickly undoing the button before yanking them down. She leaned forward and licked his shaft through his boxers, glancing up at him as she did so, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

He smirked down at her, placing his hand on her head and gripping her hair as he forced her closer. "Enjoy it." He ordered, pushing down his boxers enough to where his dick was now on the outside and pressed against her face.

"It's so big." She marveled, licking the underside of his penis from base to tip. She swirled her tongue around the tip, flicking the slit with her tongue, before enveloping him with her mouth and beginning a steady pace as she sucked on him. He groaned out, fisting his hand in her hair and pushing himself further down her throat, relishing in the feel and wetness of her mouth.

"God damn." He hissed, thrusting into her mouth.

She continued this for a while, but when the need for air set in, she gripped his hips and pulled away from him, panting harshly. Then she reached behind her and undid the clasp of her bra, letting it fall between them. And before he knew what she was doing, she gripped a breast in each hand and moved closer, sliding his shaft between the two mounds and moving them around his erection. Seeing his tip poking out from between them, Hikari smirked and lowered her head, licking it as she continued her motions.

The dark haired man took in a sharp breath, gritting his teeth together. It was absolutely amazing how hot her breasts were. Their size still drove him mad with want. Now that her bra was off they looked even bigger, free from those sexy restraints. He bucked his hips the best he could, forcing himself between her breasts quickly. He gripped her hair once more and tilted her face up. He sped up and let out a low moan as he came, releasing all over the top of her chest and her face.

"Gorgeous." He said with a dark grin, admiring the position. He really liked when she was on her knees before him.

Hikari smiled, releasing her breasts and wiping the cum off of them and her face, licking it off of her hand. Her gaze returned to his penis, and she sucked it into her mouth once more, feeling it harden inside her. She pulled back and released it with a pop, before kissing his pelvis. She placed her hands on his hips once more, and slowly began to slide them up his abdomen, kissing her way up his chest until she was standing, making her taller than the ebony haired man. She let her fingers thread into his hair and tilt his head back. "Remember your words." She said lowly, leaning down and nipping his lower lip. "You have to make me cum." She growled, using her grip on his head to shove his face into her cleavage, a smirk coming to her face at the change in dominance.

He smirked, nuzzling into her soft chest, lifting his hands and grabbing her breasts. He squeezed them, moving them around as he kissed the delicate and sensitive flesh. "I'll make you scream." He assured, taking one of her perky buds in his mouth as he sucked on her mound, pinching the other nipple between his fingers and pulling at it slightly.

She gasped, throwing her head back and letting out a deep, throaty moan, her eyes drifting shut from the pleasure. This felt amazing, and she was so turned on right now. She kept her fingers in his hair, massaging his scalp a bit as he continued to lick and tug on her chest. Her eyes snapped open then, as she felt some of her own excitement escape her panties and slide down her inner thigh. Oh, he was good. He hadn't even touched her yet and she was begging for it. "Ah!" she looked back down at him, watching as he switched breasts. Her legs wobbled and buckled suddenly, and she would have fallen had it not been for her grabbing his shoulders, and his ready hands keeping her up.

"I can't take much more foreplay standing up." She said breathlessly, kissing him on the neck.

"Of course you can't." he replied haughtily, wrapping his arms around her and lowering her to the bed. He laid her on her back and stared down at her bodacious body. He lowered his hand to his own arousal and began to rub it. The mere sight of her was driving him completely mad with lust. He left his sex alone and grabbed a hold of her panties, sliding them down her long, milky legs and then tossed them aside, finally having her completely bare. He took off his boxers fully and spread her legs, lowering his head between her thighs and licking up her wet slit.

A cry escaped her and she arched almost completely off the bed from the shock of pleasure that went straight to her core. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, gripping the covers beneath her tightly. She felt him smirk as he moved his hands along her inner thighs and sucked on her protruding clit that was practically throbbing. He slid one of his hands down to her opening and shoved two fingers in, beginning to pump in and out of her. She whimpered, immediately beginning to thrust against him in want for more. Her entire body was coursing with liquid fire, and it was slowly gathering in her core, building until it exploded.

"Oh fuck YES!" Hikari shouted, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she shook from the force of her first release. She knew she'd chosen the right person when he'd begin to flirt with her, and this knowledge made her smile. She let go of the sheets, her hands a bit sore from holding them so tightly.

He removed his head from between her legs and licked his lips. "We'll you're an easy one to please." he chuckled.

Hikari let out a deep breath, almost in awe from what she had just experienced. "I've never…had an orgasm before…" she admitted. She sat up and looked at him. Then she reached forward and cupped the back of his neck, before pulling him closer kissing him to show her thanks. "I'm ready for your dick now." She whispered.

"Are you? Well I don't know if I'm ready to give it to you just yet." He said, moving up and grabbing both of her wrists. He held her arms above her head and held both them down with only one hand while his other returned to her soaking pussy. "I want to see just how mad I can drive you with my fingers alone." Then he began to rub her clit slowly, dipping the tips of his fingers into her inviting hole.

"Ngh." She tried to pull her wrists from his grasp, wanting to touch him, but it was to no avail. "Why can't we just fuck already?" she whined, unable to resist moving her hips against his hand.

He smiled down at her, something dark flickering in his jade depths. "Because I don't let people tell me what to do. And now will be no exception." He leaned down and kissed her neck, nibbling on the soft flesh before he ventured higher and tugged on her earlobe.

She moaned, another shiver coursing through her as she arched into him. "Please…I don't know how much more of this teasing I can take." She said breathlessly, trying to get his fingers to go deeper within her.

"Exactly." He purred, nuzzling into her neck. "So go ahead and beg for it and I may consider allowing you the greatest pleasure of your life."

She tried not to let her anger spark in her frustration with him. She didn't appreciate his arrogant and domineering personality, but she wanted another orgasm, and she wanted to feel him inside of her. Besides, it wasn't like she would ever see him again, so she could suck up her pride and play the role he wanted in order to get what she wanted. "Please." She said softly, turning her face towards him and putting an adorable pout on her face. "I want you inside of me. Please grace my throbbing pussy with your big cock. I want it." she begged, hooking one of her legs around his waist to bring him closer.

He relished in her defeat and kissed her, surprisingly gently. "It's only sexy because that killed you inside to do." he said against her lips. He released her hands then and moved so that he was now positioned at her entrance. "Women are so easy to read." He snickered, grabbing her ankles and lifting her legs up slightly. Without any more foreplay, he slid inside her easily, all the way to the base. "Ah…" he breathed out, pushing further in. "Damn." He groaned out.

"Oh God." She whimpered, feeling her walls stretch a bit to fit him. It felt amazing to have a real man inside of her. Wanting to get this show on the road, she began to move her hips as best as she was able in the position he had put her in.

"Such an eager little one you are." he chuckled, pulling out till he reached his tip before slamming back into her. He released one of her legs and grabbed one of her breasts, rolling it around in his hand as he played with her erect bud. He picked up his pace, sliding in easily due to her first orgasm. The odd thing was, as he stared down at her he couldn't help but think how truly beautiful she was. It almost made him pause, almost, but of course it wasn't in his nature to show any weakness.

Hikari wrapped her leg around him once more, matching his pace. She gripped his shoulders, needing some sort of anchor so that she didn't get completely lost in everything that she was feeling. She locked gazes with him and smiled slightly. "What can I say? I'm just having so much fun." She groaned then, her hold on him tightening as she felt that sensation beginning to build once more, only slower this time.

He felt her beginning to tighten around him. He pumped into her faster, hitting her deep inside. He backed away for a brief moment and pulled out, but before she could ask what he was doing, he flipped her over onto her stomach and grabbed her hips, forcing her butt in the air. He slammed into her once more, now pounding in from behind at a much faster pace.

She shouted out at the new experience, fisting her hands in the sheets to keep herself from rocking back and forth too much from the strength of his thrusts. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she looked back and watched him as he entered her over and over. Not wanting to just take it, she began to gyrate her hips against him every time his pelvis hit hers. "Yes." She panted, letting her head fall forward. "Yes…yes…oh shit!" she yelled, her torso collapsing onto the bed as she came fast and hard all over him, this orgasm being even stronger than her first one.

He slowed, only for a moment, sliding his hand down the arch of her back until he reached her neck. He began to rub it soothingly, as he continued to prod her. Then he fisted his hand in her hair and forced her back up, slamming into her even harder than before. "Let's be fair, precious little Hikari. No rest until I'm fully satisfied with _you_."

"We're going to be up all night, aren't we?" she asked breathlessly, looking back at him.

"Not all night." He snickered, gripping her hips and slamming into her. "I _do_ have to work in the morning, after all. So either until I run out of energy, or I see fit to quit. Most likely the latter of the two." He smirked, fully sheathing himself inside her, rubbing his pelvis against her ass.

Hikari chuckled, beginning to move her hips against him once more. "Bring it on." She challenged. Her egging on only renewed his vigor. He definitely liked her, and all the attitude that came with her.

"Alright then. Let's see if you can subdue me." He said, ramming into her, causing her screams of pleasure to carry through the room. And they did keep going, all the way into the early hours of the morning, until finally neither one could move anymore. They both collapsed onto the bed, breathing harshly and trying to steady their racing hearts.

Hikari looked over at him, completely exhausted. Even if she had wanted to leave that moment, she didn't think it possible, because she could hardly even feel her knees. He turned his head slightly and met her gaze, giving her a small smile. "My name's Noriaki by the way."

She chuckled softly, rolling so that she could look at him easier. "I knew I was forgetting something." She sighed, a playful smile on her face. "You should have told me sooner. I could have screamed that instead of cussing so much." She laughed.

"Naw, it's okay. That makes things more personal." He chuckled and closed his eyes. "Now go to sleep, I'm actually worn out, so you should be very proud of yourself."

"Trust me, I am." She said, closing her eyes and immediately beginning to drift off. She randomly thought of Talia, and hoped the blonde wasn't too pissed at her. But she had needed this. The reassurance that she could rock a man's world had done wonders for her, and now she could get on with her life and leave her terrible breakup behind her.


	2. Judgment

**Juxtaposition**

_Chapter Two_

-Judgment-

Noriaki stood at the foot of his bed, dressed in nothing but his drawstring pajama pants. He stared at the woman in his bed, his arms crossed as he tried to think of how he could make this morning less awkward. But he really wanted her to leave. He had to get to work, and there was no way in hell he'd ever trust some woman in his apartment. But he didn't want to just tell her to leave. After all, last night had probably been the most satisfying of his life.

He shook his head and walked into his bathroom, shutting the door behind him. If he didn't want to tell her to leave, then maybe he should attempt to do something he'd never done before. They could get ready together, maybe have some hot shower sex, a little breakfast, at least that way he could get her number and call her up for another night of fucking.

He smirked at his reflection and nodded. It was a perfect idea. He ran one of his hands through his hair and ruffled it slightly before turning and going back into the bedroom. He blinked and looked around, seeing nothing scattered on the floor aside from his own clothing. A frown appeared on his face as he walked into his living room. She was nowhere to be seen. The lock had been undone, and she wasn't in the spare bathroom.

He scratched at his cheek and looked around once more, for the first time shocked. Never before had he actually been left before he could tell them to get lost. That fact alone intrigued him further about the girl, but it also pissed him off. He shook his head and brushed it off, trying not to let it get to him. It was much simpler this way, and now he would actually be on time for work.

Those thoughts in mind, Noriaki headed back to his bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

"You're such a slut." Talia rolled her eyes as she sat with Hikari at a small table in a Starbucks. She was wearing black and a green apron with the coffee shop's logo on the front, and her golden blonde lock were thrown up in a stylish yet messy bun. "You're so lucky he wasn't some psycho rapist killer."

Hikari scoffed, taking another sip of her coffee. "I knew he wasn't." she said. "I could just tell. Besides, now I'm completely over Richard, all of my stress is gone, and I am ready for my interview next week." She smiled, then looked apologetic. "I really am sorry about leaving you though. I know you were just trying to take care of me, and I appreciate it."

Talia simply shook her head and propped one of her elbows up on the table. "You're hopeless." She sighed, resting her chin on her palm.

"Hey, if you'd ever had the amazing sex I had last night, you'd be feeling differently." She nodded, playing with her cup a bit.

The blonde gave her a hard stare. "Well seeing as I've never had sex ever, I really don't see your point."

"Oh lighten up." She sighed, finishing off her drink. "But take my advice," Hikari said, now completely serious. "When you do, make sure that he can make you feel good. Don't do what I did and overlook that before you have sex with him. Emotional crap is important, but if he doesn't get your blood flowing, he's not worth your time."

"Yeah. Yeah." Talia rolled her eyes, waving her friend off. The little bell for the door rang and Talia glanced over, her eyes becoming as wide as saucers. She instantly shifted her body so she was facing the wall and held her hand by her face as if trying to cover it. "Oh my God." She whispered. "Oh my God. Oh my God."

"What?" Hikari asked, glancing to see who had entered. It was a man with ebony hair, his bangs falling off the sides of his face, and the back spiking up a bit. He had forest green eyes, and looked like he was a very serious individual, especially given his business attire. She smirked and looked back at her friend. "So what's the story here? Cause' he's a cutie." She winked.

The blonde gave her friend a silencing glare. "Yeah I know." Talia blushed. "He comes in here every morning and gets a black coffee with three extra shots of espresso and a dash of cinnamon. And he gives me this small hint of a smile every time I make it for him…but…" she swallowed, glancing past her hand and seeing him stop in the line as he worked on his iPhone. "The day before yesterday…I…I…"

"You what?" Hikari demanded in a hushed tone, now caught up in the moment.

"I dropped it and it spilled all over him. He was really upset, but I could tell he was trying to keep it all in. He looked like he was going to blow and then he didn't come in yesterday." She finished, running her hands down her face.

The violet eyed woman couldn't help but smile at her friend's predicament. "Well gosh Talia, you must have really ruined his day." She snickered, teasing her. "You're lucky he didn't decide to find a different coffee shop, then you'd never get to see him again."

Talia groaned and let her face hit the table. "He might as well have. I probably did ruin his day. It must suck to have some retard spill coffee on you cause' she's staring at you like a school girl with a crush."

Hikari shook her head, chuckling. "Well he's about to order." She nodded to him. "I wonder if he'll notice your absence."

"I just hope he doesn't see me." She grumbled, keeping her hand over her face.

When he reached the counter, he looked around the coffee shop, appearing to be searching for someone. Then he looked back as the barista. "Where is Talia?" he asked, his voice soft, yet deep.

"He knows your name!" Hikari exclaimed softly, nudging her friend, who sunk down even lower to keep herself hidden.

"She's on break." The girl smiled. "But I would be happy to take your order sir."

The man sighed, clearly unhappy. "Fine. I want black coffee with three shots of espresso and a dash of cinnamon. Make sure it's nice and hot."

The girl nodded, putting in the order. "That will be three fifty-seven." She said, before taking the cash from him. "And I'll go make that coffee for you." she turned and began to put it together while the man stood there and waited. When it was finished, she handed the steaming cup to him with a smile. "Here you go. Enjoy."

He raised it to his mouth and took a small sip, before his face contorted to one of displeasure. "This is unacceptable." He stated, setting it back down on the counter. "I want Talia to make it. She is the only one who knows how to do it properly."

"But sir, she's on break." The girl tried, becoming uncomfortable with this minor confrontation.

"Then I will wait until her break finishes to get my coffee. Either that or you can give me a refund for this terrible excuse of a beverage, and I will take my business elsewhere." He said.

Catching this, the manager stepped up and gave him a friendly smile. "That's not necessary. We here at Starbucks want you to have a pleasant experience. I'll get Talia." The portly man said, looking around the establishment. "Talia!" he shouted, unable to spot the hiding woman.

The blonde slid beneath the table, covering her face with her hands. "I'm not here." She whispered.

"Talia!" he called again. "Get out from under that table!"

Talia got up instantly, facing the wall still since her face was a dark red. She was so embarrassed now because everyone was staring at her. She walked back over to the front and behind the counter, stopping beside her manager. "Yes sir?" she asked.

"This most _valued_ customer," the manager began, gesturing to the ebony haired man, "would like for you to make him his beverage. So if you could do that for him really quick, you can resume your break." He instructed.

"But I-uh sir I don't…" she held up a finger to protest, but he was already gone. Talia looked back at the man and couldn't help but blush. "Um…coming right up sir." She said softly, trying not to freak out.

He crossed his arms. "Take your time." He said, watching her.

She grabbed his regular size and started to blend his usual. It didn't take much thought and that was a good thing, because she was practically freaking out in her head. "Remain calm." She told herself, stirring the mixture after she added the cinnamon. "Here you go." Talia breathed out, hoping he didn't say anything about the spill.

He took it from her, slowly bringing the cup to his lips before taking a sip. A small smile came to his face and he looked back at her. "Thank you." he said, placing a ten dollar bill into the tip jar for her. "For your trouble, since I interrupted your break." He explained with a slight shrug, turning and heading out of the establishment before she could respond.

Talia watched him leave, leaning forward as she rested her elbow on the counter and her chin in her palm. She so had a crush, "How lame…" she pouted, annoyed with her stupid fantasy.

Hikari got up from her seat, throwing away her empty cup before going over to the counter. "That was cute." She smiled. "Why don't you ever flirt with him? I bet he'd ask you out after a while if you did."

"Because." She huffed. "He's rich and big up there and I…work at Starbucks." Talia sighed.

"So." The other woman scoffed. "You're pretty, smart, funny, I mean, any guy would be lucky to date you." she said. "Besides, he remembers your name, and wants you specifically to make his coffee. If that's not a sign of like then I don't know what is."

"Maybe I'm just good at making coffee."

Hikari rolled her eyes. "Okay Talia, I'm just trying to tell you what a non-biased third party saw and here you are trying to argue with me." She said. "I just think it would be good for you to go on a date for once in your life."

The blonde growled out as she plopped back down in her chair. "Well that would incorporate him asking me out. Which would never happen in a billion years. I saw his credit card once. It was a black card! So he's stupid rich and got all this attention." she sighed. "He has paid cash since."

"Maybe if you tried not to be such a spazz he would ask you out." The pale haired woman said, sitting across from her friend. "Or you could take the initiative and ask him out. He'd probably say yes to coffee." She snickered.

"Oh har har. You're freaking hilarious." Talia rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "I don't want to ask him out. Why should I initiate the inevitable, impossible relationship. I'm not just looking for sex to boost my ego like you Hikari."

This made the other woman look down at the table, a frown on her face. "You didn't hear what Richard said to me." She said softly. "And you know I wouldn't normally do something like that, but it was nice, to pretend to be somebody else for a while."

"Still." Talia sighed and then reached over to pat her friend's hand. "He was a waste of your life anyways."

"I know." Hikari sighed and looked up at the blonde, smiling ruefully. "I only wish I had realized it sooner."

"Yeah, but you're a woman. You're bound to do stupid things around men before you get the right one." The blonde looked at her watch and sighed, "Well I better get back to work. I'll see you tonight when I get off." she smiled and then rose, going back to resume her mundane day.

Hikari rose as well, shouldering her purse and walking out of the coffee shop with a wave to her friend. The rest of her day would be spent shopping, because she needed to find a new outfit for her interview. Smiling at the prospects, she put on her sunglasses and turned the corner.


	3. Interview

**Juxtaposition**

_Chapter Three_

-Interview-

Hikari's heels clicked on the cement as she walked towards the large building that was Uchiha Inc. Her interview didn't start for another half hour, but she liked to be early just in case. This place was very prestigious, and so she had gotten her hair trimmed, her nails done, new shoes, new clothes, and even a new purse and pair of sunglasses. Because if she didn't make a good impression, she would have to go ask her cousin for her old job back, and that was something she would only do as a last resort.

As she grew closer to the glass tower, she caught her reflection and smiled. Her new grey pinstriped pantsuit looked perfect on her. The pants were long enough to cover the tops of her feet, which were sporting a pair of grey, strappy heels that showed off her red toes perfectly. She left her jacket open, revealing a crisp, sleeveless white button down shirt. She'd left the top two buttons undone, but it didn't reveal any cleavage, and so was still deemed appropriate.

She hoped things went well. It wasn't like she was applying for a big position or anything. She just wanted to be a secretary/personal assistant. But these people took any kind of job in their company very seriously, and were very hard to please. And although Hikari did have experience in this field, and a degree in personal relations, she was still very nervous.

Realizing that the doors were a few feet away, Hikari discreetly checked her French manicure to make sure none of her nails had chipped. Satisfied, she opened the door and entered the massive lobby. She reached up and took off her sunglasses, stuffing them into her purse as she took a cursory look around. Off to the right there was a small sitting area, which she doubted was used much, and behind it was a hallway that led to the restrooms. To the left there was a large staircase, as well as the elevators. And right in between both sides was a large desk, behind of which the two receptionists for the place sat. Standing next to it was a slender woman, her waist-length ebony hair pulled back from her face. She was dressed in a black pencil skirt with a matching black suit jacket, and matching black heels, a clipboard in her hands.

Hikari blinked as she looked into light jade eyes. Eyes that were eerily similar to the man she'd slept with last week, someone whose name she couldn't even remember. She hadn't really thought of him since then, and why should she? It was a one-night stand, something that would never mean anything, or happen again. She shook off her thoughts then and stopped before the woman, a friendly smile coming to her face.

"Takata Hikari I presume?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am." Hikari replied promptly.

"Good. You're early. Follow me." The dark haired woman said, heading towards the elevator. Hikari followed as they came up to multiple gated areas.

"My name is Izayoi. My father is president of the company and my grandfather is the CEO. I take care of all my father's affairs and scheduling. I am also one of the partners, so do not pair me up with the other secretaries. Are we clear?" she asked, swiping her card and leading her to the elevators, which they boarded.

Hikari nodded. "Crystal."

"Fantastic." Izayoi said, writing something down on her clipboard. "Now, there are two partners, both of which are my brothers. The one you will be working for is my eldest brother Kanamé. He's pretty much the vice president and will be taking over for my father eventually. Your interview will be with my father, not Kanamé, because he decides who will be worthy of working here. Your tasks will be expected to be carried out immediately and flawlessly. Any questions yet?"

"No, I think I've got a pretty good idea about how I will need to perform." She replied.

"I see you have some prerequisites. You worked for Ryū Corp?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am."

Izayoi nodded. "I will be checking on how well you did there later tonight. I'm very familiar with their company."

"Aren't they rivals with Uchiha Inc?" Hikari asked, instantly regretting her blunder.

But the dark haired woman laughed softly. "Yup, they are. But I have connections nonetheless."

The elevator doors opened and they walked out, passing by a few desks of people who were diligently working. "This is the floor you would be on." She explained. They turned a corner and there were two large desks on each side of the hall beside two pairs of enormous double doors. "These are my brother's offices." She gestured to each, but hurried on.

They turned another corner and at the end were two fogged glass double doors. "That is my father's, and mine is right here." She pointed as they passed a young auburn haired woman who was taking messages. "I have a younger brother who is in charge of everything on the floors below. His office is down the other hallways because he doesn't like to be bothered with mundane things."

The two women stopped at the large doors and Izayoi knocked before walking in. "Father, Takata Hikari is here." She announced, stepping aside and allowing the white haired woman in.

Hikari entered and her gaze instantly went to the man sitting behind the large desk. It was as if the power he radiated drew her gaze automatically, though she did notice that his office was very tidy. He had ebony hair that spiked up in the back, and deep forest green eyes. She noticed that he looked a lot like the man in the coffee shop that Talia had a crush on, but aside from that, he also looked similar to her lover from the bar.

He stood and walked around his desk. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Takata." He said with a slight smile, shaking her hand. "I am Uchiha Akito, the president of this company."

"The pleasure is all mine Mr. Uchiha." Hikari smiled politely.

Akito released her hand and clasped his behind his back as he took in her appearance. Then he looked to his daughter, who had walked over to them. "What notes have you made Izayoi?" he asked, glancing to her chart.

She handed him the paper and folded the clipboard under her arm. "She seems polite and quick witted from what I can tell. She's pretty and her appearance is up to our standards. She used to work over at Ryū Corp. So I will be checking on that later with my husband."

"Very good." Akito nodded and then dismissed her. Izayoi bowed her head in respect and left the two. He continued to look over the papers as he walked back towards his desk. "Please have a seat, Miss Takata." He gestured to one of the two leather chairs in front of his desk as he moved to sit down. Hikari did so quickly, setting her purse on the floor by her feet and keeping her posture straight. Akito placed the papers on his desk and looked up at her. "Now, I see here that you were not fired from Ryū Crop. Can you explain to me what happened?"

She nodded. "Yes, I quit. It's my cousin's company, you see, and I wanted to branch away from the family." She smiled. "It would be nice to work in a place where I wasn't accused of only getting a job because of my relations instead of my talents."

"I see." He glanced at the paperwork once more before returning his gaze to her. "You will be required to be here at seven-thirty every morning, and leave at five every evening. You must handle every event and meeting, and do whatever my son asks you to do. Now, because he is married, you will not be expected to escort him to any of our companies' social events as you would if he were not. Understand?"

"Yes." She nodded once more, her excitement growing as it began to look like she would get the job.

"Excellent. I will take you to meet my son-" he stopped speaking then as the door to his office was opened without so much as a knock. "Noriaki." He stated, almost with a sigh. Hikari turned to see who this Noriaki person was, the name sounding somewhat familiar. She froze and went wide eyed when she laid eyes upon the same man she had slept with a week ago, only now he was wearing a white button down shirt that was tucked into his dress pants, with the sleeves rolled up, instead of his normal clothes. And suddenly it all made sense as to why these other people reminded her of him. He was an Uchiha.

"Dad." He said, walking over to the older man and around the desk, stopping beside him. He laid out some paper and pointed to a few figures. "I finished with the Colson case. We settled for half a million today before court and we get seventy percent. I have to be in court in forty-five minutes, so I wanted to go over these with you before-"

"Noriaki," Akito interrupted, getting his son's attention. "As impressive as that is, I'm doing an interview." He gestured to Hikari.

"Like I give a fuck about some stupid-" He glanced up then, his gaze zeroing in on the white haired woman as he straightened. "Well, well, well. Now this has got to be fate or something."

Hikari blinked, trying to think of how to play this off. It would just look terrible if the president of the company discovered her one-night stand with his son before she was even officially hired. This could even make her lose the job. "Fate?" she asked, pasting a smile on her face as she glanced to Akito and back at Noriaki. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've even been acquainted." She hoped he would take the hint and just drop it, because this would look _so_ unprofessional.

Noriaki slammed his hand on the table, making her jump. He leaned forward and smirked. "Lying is not a trait we look for here. Father," the dark haired man looked to his elder and shook his head. "This one will do anything to please the higher, and I don't think we want that."

Akito raised a brow. "You two know each other I take it?"

"Mr. Uchiha, I can explain." Hikari said, moving forward in her seat in earnest to be allowed to give her side. She doubted it though, since Noriaki was a partner in the company, and his son nonetheless.

"Yes please." Noriaki chuckled. "_Do_ explain."

Hikari tried not to fidget. She needed to appear strong in front of these people, because her job depended on it. And with her lifestyle, she _really_ needed this job. "Well, we met in a bar, and in an uncharacteristic moment of alcohol-induced weakness, I allowed your son to take me to his apartment, where he then had his way with me." She nodded, hoping that her blush wasn't as bad as it felt.

Noriaki laughed, leaning back and shaking his head. "Yeah Dad, she was a little fuck buddy one night."

Akito smirked and looked up at his son. "Nice." He complimented, before pushing his chair back and standing. Hikari immediately stood as well, shouldering her purse. "Well, if that is all, I will introduce you to your official boss." He said.

The violet eyed woman blinked. "You mean, I still get the job?" she asked, obviously shocked.

The elder shrugged. "Hey, I'd lie about knowing him if I could, but the resemblance is too obvious." He joked, clapping Noriaki on the back. "Your credentials are excellent, and it's hard these days to find a woman with your exact talents. Besides, as long as this doesn't interfere with either of you doing your jobs, I think we're fine."

"It won't, I promise." Hikari smiled genuinely.

"In theory." Noriaki interjected, but then frowned. "Wait…who gets her?"

"Kanamé." Akito said without pause, walking around his desk in order to lead Hikari to where they were going. Hikari couldn't help but let out a mental sigh of relief. If she had ended up as Noriaki's secretary she didn't think she'd be able to work here for very long. He just grated against her nerves too badly, and she could only hope that his brother wasn't as bad as he was.

Noriaki followed after his father. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I want her."

"Noriaki you already have a secretary." Akito pointed out.

"No. I fired her already, and if you don't believe that then you can give her to Kanamé. She's skilled enough to have been able to work for me for the past six months." He said, elbowing his father in a bothersome way.

Akito simply brushed him off and walked towards the doors of his office. "Noriaki, your brother has been in need of an assistant for quite some time, and therefore has dibs." He said, opening the door. "This way Miss Takata."

She smiled slightly, glancing at the younger man before exiting the office. It bothered her that they were talking about her as if she wasn't even here, or a person, for that matter. But she had to ignore it. That's just how these people were, and the sooner she got used to it, the better.

But Noriaki continued to follow, and when he answered he sounded just like a kid. "Kanamé _always_ gets first dibs! It's not fair, I want her and if I don't get her, I'm not going to court this afternoon. As a matter of fact, I won't work until I do."

"Then you'll get fired." Akito replied, not even fazed by his child's behavior. "And Sanosuke will get a nice promotion." He led Hikari back around the corner and towards the two offices she had passed on her way up with Izayoi.

"Fine then." Noriaki scoffed, not letting up. "I'll just call Mom." He said, making Akito stop. The younger male pulled out his phone and hit the dial pad, he waited then and smiled. "Hello mother. Yes, it's Noriaki. I just wanted to let you know dad is harassing me again and giving Kanamé better things because he's older and the inheritor."

He paused then and nodded, a devious smirk on his face as he held out the phone. "She wants to talk to you."

Akito glared at him and took the phone. "Yes dear?" he asked, tapping his foot.

"_Stop harassing my baby you vile man!_"

"Natsumi!" he spluttered. "Will you at least let me tell you what's really going on instead of this crap he's trying to pull?"

"_Are you telling me that I'm easily manipulated by my children?" _she shouted through the phone. Both Noriaki and Hikari looked at one another for a moment.

He glared at the floor. "Yes, woman! That's exactly what I'm saying! Just like you tell me I am easily manipulated by Iza." He replied. "Noriaki just wants the secretary I hired for Kanamé so he can fuck her." he stated. "And I will not allow such shenanigans in _my_ office!"

Hikari looked around, and noticed that while everyone else was somewhat paying attention to the argument their company president was having on the phone, they didn't seem too shocked by it. Apparently, this was something that happened regularly.

"_Well if he wants her that bad then he's going to have sex with her no matter what! And you are easily manipulated by Iza! Now stop back talking me and just give my sweet, handsome boy what he wants or you will regret it Uchiha Akito! You hear me? Regret it! I'll go visit my parents for a week and you will get no sexy waffle time from this pretty miss!_"

Akito's mouth dropped open. "What?" he shouted, his glare turning almost icy. He took a deep breath in order to calm himself. "Fine, but tonight, we're getting third drawer freaky." He stated, hanging up the phone before she could reply. He shoved it into Noriaki's hands before looking at Hikari, who appeared as if she didn't even know how to react to what had just happened. "Miss Takata, in lieu of recent events, you will be Noriaki's secretary." He gestured to the ebony haired man, before glaring at him. "And I want no complaints from you. You wanted her so badly, then she will be staying on until she either quits, or _I_ fire her. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir!" Noriaki beamed, actually smiling. "Thanks dad. I'll be good." He nodded, rubbing his hands together in victory.

"Yeah, whatever." He sighed, turning and heading back to his office. "Don't forget you have to be in court in a half hour." He called out, rounding the corner.

Hikari blinked, the past events finally catching up with her. "What?" she breathed out, feeling all hope leave her as she looked up at Noriaki. This entire situation had disaster written all over it.

The dark haired man let out a breath and smiled to himself. "Alright come on." He gestured, walking towards his office. He stopped at his secretary's desk and crossed his arms. "You're fired."

The woman blinked. "What?" she asked, looking mortified.

"Oh don't look so nervous, you're Kanamé's secretary now." He shooed her away then, "Leave all your notes and fill Hikari in, then you can go over and settle in." he turned to Hikari then. "Listen to Helen, she has all my information. I have to leave now and prepare for court, but I have a meeting at four and you need to be present. I'll need some lunch so don't screw up. Take all the phone calls and don't piss off my sister. You get on her bad side she'll have you fired faster than you can even blink."

"Okay." Hikari nodded. And before more could be said, he disappeared, off to prepare for court. She turned and gave Helen an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry. I don't even know how all of this happened myself." She said, scratching her cheek.

She simply shrugged. "No worries sweetie, I actually feel sorry for you. That man is _really_ hard to please, and he's a damn good lawyer. He pretty much gets whatever he wants because his dad knows he's amazing at his job, and he's a giant momma's boy. And Mrs. Uchiha has Mr. Uchiha wrapped around her perfectly manicured finger. So just try your best."

"Right. Of course." Hikari sighed. "So, what is it that I need to know?"

Helen nodded. "The triplets, which are the partners, Sanosuke, and Hayate, who's going to school right now to become a doctor. Kanamé's schedule is pretty easy going but sometimes you need to schedule the triplets together since they have meetings they all go to. Don't ever tell Ms. Izayoi what to do, or suggest anything, because Mr. Kanamé and Mr. Noriaki will kill you. They practically worship her like they do their mother. Always patch Mrs. Uchiha through to Noriaki, and he loves chocolate milk in the morning. He's never late, so you can't be either. He likes detailed notes. Never record your notes, he hates that. He eats lunch at two every day, and he likes to be surprised, so you'll have to order it or go get something for him."

"What kinds of food does he like?" she asked, pulling a pad and pencil out form her purse and writing everything down. She would be so lucky as to not only get stuck with an insufferable, arrogant man for her boss, but a picky one at that. Her life sucked.

"He particularly likes sushi. Other than that it varies." She explained, standing and gathering the few personal things she had. "Mr. Noriaki takes his job very seriously, so try not to mix up anything. Just because you slept with him doesn't mean he'll go easy on you, trust me. The last thing you want is an angry Uchiha in your face." She sighed, giving Hikari a wave. "Good luck honey." And then she was gone off to her new desk.

Hikari tried not to look as downtrodden as she felt as she took her seat. She just needed to get through the day, and then she could freak out later. She glanced at the clock, and saw that it was just now eleven-thirty, meaning she had some time before she would need to get Noriaki's lunch. Until then, her time was spent getting to know the computer system a bit and seeing how Helen had organized everything. Then she finished typing up some earlier notes of the Uchiha's and emailing them to him, as well as printing off a hard copy to give to him when he got back. And when it hit one, she called down to this little Japanese place she knew of that served the best food, and left to pick up his lunch.

She made it back with ten minutes to spare, and walked straight into his office, glad that he was still not back from court yet. She took his food out of the to-go containers and set it up nicely on one of the plastic plates that Helen had showed her were hidden in one of her desk drawers. Finished with that, she took the trash out of his office and threw it away in one of the larger trash cans in the hall. And just as she was about to sit down to resume her work, Noriaki came around the corner.

"Welcome back Mr. Noriaki." She said politely, standing and grabbing a small stack of papers before moving and opening his office door for him. "How was court?"

"All went as planned." He said, giving her a nod. "Thanks." He took off his jacket and fished a recorder out of his pocket. "I'll need you to transcribe those for me and send a memo to my sister about the settlement amount. Tell her to meet me in my office in the next hour or so." He dropped his suit jacket on her desk and continued into his office.

Hikari nodded and followed him inside. "These are the notes from your last meeting." She said, waiting until he was seated to set them on his desk, out of the way of his food. "And this is what you will need to know for your four o'clock meeting." She set a separate stack on his desk before picking up the recorder that he had set down. "Is there anything else you will be needing?"

He glanced around his desk and picked up the fork that was sitting there. "Some chopsticks." He said a bit irritably, holding the utensil out to her. "If you're going to get me a food from my own country, I'll eat it like they do."

"Very well." She took the fork from him before turning on her heel and walking out of his office back to her desk. She set the fork and recorder down, before picking up the chopsticks that she had been planning to use while eating her food. They were still wrapped, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Then she went back inside his office and held them out to him. "Here you go sir."

"Thank you Hikari." He said genuinely, taking the chopsticks from her. "You can go now. Make sure to be ready for my four o'clock meeting." He said as he began to eat, shooing her out, though as she left he let his eyes rest on her rear end. Oh yes, this was going to be amazing.

Hikari held in a groan as she took her seat. She had so much work to do, she didn't think she would have time to eat her lunch. Sighing, she placed it in a drawer so that it was out of the way, before standing and hanging up Noriaki's jacket on the coat hanger next to her desk, along with her own. It seemed working here wasn't going to be a cakewalk, but she was determined to get through it. She would not give up so easily, and she definitely wouldn't let a man be the downfall of her career. Those thoughts in mind, she went to call Izayoi.


	4. Living Hell

**Juxtaposition**

_Chapter Four_

-Living Hell-

"I hate it Talia." Hikari whined, hitting her head on their usual table at the Starbucks the blonde worked at. "I hate it so much." She shook her head back and forth, not even looking up.

"I thought you were mega excited about this job?" Talia asked, sipping at her coffee. She was in her uniform as usual, since the two always spent her break together.

Hikari sat up and sighed. "I was, until I met my boss." She locked gazes with the blonde. "It's the man I slept with. From the bar."

Talia burst into laughter. "No way!"

"It's not funny." She pouted, taking a large gulp from her coffee. Thank god today was a Saturday and she didn't have to go in to work. At least she hoped she didn't. She'd had to give Noriaki her cell number in case he needed her for anything, though she didn't understand why he would need to call her outside of business hours. "He's so anal about everything, and it all has to be specific. Not to mention that I have to walk around with a fake smile on my face, and always happy, and say, 'Yes Mr. Noriaki, of course Mr. Noriaki, can I do anything else for you Mr. Noriaki?'" she mimicked, pasting a fake smile on her face and using a squeaky voice to make the entire thing more dramatic. She exhaled harshly, blowing her bangs from her face. "It's like they want their secretaries to have no personality at all, and just walk around like mindless drones."

"Well I doubt he would get mad at you for having a personality, and that's what secretaries do. They sit silently and make their bosses' lives easier." The younger girl pointed out. "Besides, I bet you get paid amazingly, unlike this dead-end job."

She shook her head. "That's the only thing keeping me going, knowing how much money I'll be getting in my paycheck." She rested her chin in her palm, setting her elbow on the table. "I just wish I'd gotten to work for his brother, like originally planned. I met him the other day. He's so nice, and a pretty easy boss to work for. Helen even gets to leave early, because he doesn't like to stay late." She smiled slightly. "He doesn't like to be away from his wife that long, or keep her waiting. Isn't that sweet?" she sighed. "That's the kind of man I need."

"You would eat a man up if he were like that." Talia scoffed, rolling her eyes. "No offense Hikari, but you're kinda in everyone's face. You need a man who can subdue you, but at the same time will be tender and love you."

"Yeah, well, other than my life becoming a living hell, I do have some good news for you." she smiled, perking up and taking another drink of her coffee.

This seemed to perk up the poor coffee maker. "What's that?"

"I heard around the office that some jobs are opening up. Just small stuff, but I know you'd totally be able to do it. Do you want me to get you an application? I can already guarantee you'd be getting paid more than you make here in a year, _and_ you get benefits, _and_ you'd have better hours." She said.

"I dunno." Talia sighed, leaning back in her chair, looking exhausted. "That's a _big_ company, and if I leave here and work there, what if I get fired?"

Hikari was about to speak, until she glanced at the door and went wide eyed, a look of horror coming to her face. Before Talia could ask what was wrong with her friend, the chair next to her was pulled out, and the dark haired man that Talia had a crush on sat down without a word.

Both women looked over, utterly speechless. "Um…" Talia said softly, a dark blush spreading across her cheeks, "Can I help you?"

"Not yet." He said, resting his elbow on the table and looking at Hikari. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Aren't you my brother's new secretary?" he asked. "The one he slept with?"

"Um…yes, I am." Hikari said, a blush coming to her cheeks.

"Thought so." He looked back at Talia, who was just staring at him.

With deep green now on her, Talia turned a darker shade of red. "I don't understand what's happening right now."

"I am waiting for you to finish your break." He explained with a slight tilt of his lips. "Instead of interrupting it this time."

She blinked, "Oh…um…well if you're in a hurry, I could always-" she moved to get up and almost knocked over her own cup, which had he not caught would have spilled all over him. "I am so sorry!" Talia gasped, she could hardly feel her face anymore.

"It's no trouble." He said, placing his other hand on her arm and easing her back into her seat. "Just relax," he teased, setting her cup farther away from him, and her, for that matter.

"But I don't want you to be waiting, I know you must have a lot of things to do." She covered her face, trying to take deep breaths. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize. A few minutes of your company is worth the wait." He said.

Hikari just sat back and watched the two, trying to keep the smile off her face. It was so clear that they liked each other, despite what Talia said.

The blonde peeked through her fingers and finally lowered her hands, "So…you know Hikari?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

"Not really."

"We've never been introduced." Hikari said. "But I have heard about Sanosuke, obviously. I have to coordinate schedules with his secretary on a few occasions, should he and Noriaki need to be in the same meeting."

Sanosuke sighed. "Unfortunately."

"Oh! So you work over at Uchiha Inc." Talia nodded and then went wide eyed. "You're an Uchiha?!"

He nodded, and then turned to face her. "Uchiha Sanosuke." he said, holding his hand out to her. "I forgot to introduce myself earlier."

She took his hand nervously and shook it. "Utagawa Talia. It's an honor to meet you, I mean, everybody knows about you guys."

"Another unfortunate thing." He said as he released her hand.

Hikari frowned. "So Sanosuke, are you going in to work or something?" she asked, nodding to his attire, which was what he usually wore in the office.

He nodded. "I like to go in on Saturdays because nobody else is there to bother me. Especially my family."

"Do you not like them?" Talia asked innocently enough.

"I do." He said. "But I see them five days of the week, and sometimes more so when my mother plans a family dinner over the weekend."

Talia smiled, holding up a pointed finger. "You should treasure your time with your family. You never know what you have till it's gone."

"You've never met his family." Hikari snickered, taking a drink of her coffee. "They're an interesting bunch, to say the least."

"Nonetheless, it's still nice to have family that gets to be together." the blonde sighed.

Sanosuke looked at Talia, intrigue lighting his gaze. "So your family is not close, I take it?" he asked.

"My dad died when I was really little and my mom was killed by my step-dad. So no…not really close." She said simply, strangely calm about letting him know such intimate information, though Hikari knew her friend better than that.

His eyes widened slightly. "I'm sorry, if I said something that offended you." he said. "I'm told I do that a lot."

She waved off the matter and stood, "No worries. That was a long time ago and he's rotting in prison." Talia sighed, picking up her coffee cup and walking around them. "I'll go make your coffee for you." She said, heading behind the counter.

Seeing the concern marring the Uchiha's brow, Hikari sighed. "You didn't offend her, trust me. It's just a very touchy subject. I'm surprised she even told you." she said.

"Hm." Was all he said as he rose and walked to the counter, watching closely as Talia made his coffee. She set it on the counter and rang up his order, not even telling him the total, as he had already taken out the proper amount. As she reached out to take the change from him, Sanosuke grasped her hand in his, causing her to look up at him sharply. "I do not wish to ever put such a look on your face ever again, and for that, I apologize." He told her, lifting her captive hand and kissing it. "I hope the rest of your day goes well, Talia. And thank you for the coffee." And with a small, lopsided smile, he folded her now limp hand around the money, grabbed his cup, and exited the shop.

Talia blinked, watching as he left as another huge blush spread across her cheeks. There was no way that had really just happened. She glanced down and looked at the bill, seeing it was much more than his drink had cost. Hikari rose from her seat and practically hopped over to the counter, a huge smile on her face. "He _so_ likes you." she said. "I mean if I didn't think so before, I definitely do now."

"He_ so_ does not." The blonde protested weakly, unwanted thoughts swirling around in her head.

"He kissed your hand Talia." The violet-eyed woman deadpanned. "Which looked totally romantic, by the way."

Talia blew some of her bangs from her eyes. "That's just because he talks all formal like he's from feudal Japan. Anything sounds romantic when you talk like that, and it could mean anything Hikari." She huffed. "He's an Uchiha, I'm the coffee shop girl. There's no way it would ever happen. I mean for goodness sake his dad married a neurosurgeon who looks like a freaking supermodel. Not to mention I heard his older brother married a superrich heiress."

"So you're saying you wouldn't be interested in working with him?" Hikari smirked.

The blush returned to her cheeks. "I'm just saying it's unlikely…and it _might_ be nice to have some different scenery and…the occasional glimpse of him might be nice instead of the few minutes every morning."

"Then I'll be sure to put in a good word for you and get the people in HR your information." The other woman nodded. "But you won't hear anything until next week."

"Why don't you just seduce your boss? By your story it seems like he knows how to get anything he wants." She suggested with a sly smirk. "If I recall you said sex with him blew your mind and your knees. You could hardly even stand when you came home the next morning."

A dark blush came to Hikari's cheeks at the memory. "I can't, it's so unprofessional." She shook her head. "It was different when he was a stranger, but now that we work together, and people gossip in that place like no other, especially the secretaries…I don't want to be seen as the woman who tries to sleep her way to the top. And Noriaki would never allow that to affect our working relationship anyways. As it is now, he hasn't so much as hit on me, so I don't even know why he wanted me for his secretary in the first place."

Talia shrugged. "Just ask him. I'm curious to know as well. So why not go for the kill?"

"Maybe I will." Hikari said, tapping her chin with her pointer finger, appearing thoughtful. "I could ask him on Monday. He doesn't have any meetings scheduled, and only one client consultation, so it's not like I would be bothering him."

"Sounds good." Talia giggled and then shooed her friend away. "Now get lost, I think you're making my manager angry."

She smiled. "If he mentions it, tell him I said to kiss my ass." She winked, picking up her cup and leaving the coffee shop. As she walked down the street she thought about Monday, and the work waiting for her. She only hoped she had the lady-balls to ask Noriaki why he'd hired her. Because part of her was afraid of the answer.


	5. Inquiry

**Juxtaposition**

_Chapter Five_

-Inquiry-

Monday morning found Hikari in the small staff kitchen on her floor, putting together a glass of chocolate milk for her boss. Her second day there she'd forgotten to get it on her way to work, and Helen had been kind enough to point it out to her before he arrived. Luckily they had all of the supplies for it already in the kitchen, so she'd just had to whip some up. Unfortunately for her, Noriaki liked her hand-made chocolate milk better than store-bought, so now she had to make it every morning, but not until after he arrived, so that it was fresh. God, he was so picky.

Today she was wearing a tight black pencil skirt and a white button down shirt with sleeves that stopped just above her elbows, a thick black belt around her waist to cover where the shirt tucked into her skirt. As usual, she had the top two buttons undone, though today her hair was pulled up into a loose, stylish bun, a few wisps of hair falling to frame her face, along with her bangs.

Finished mixing the milk and chocolate syrup together, she placed the spoon in the sink and left, going back towards his office. Today was the day, she thought as her heels clicked on the hard floor. She would ask him. She had no excuses, because unlike the other days of the week, this one wasn't very busy, and so she would even have time to call an HR rep and talk to them about hiring Talia. That girl really needed to quit working at Starbucks.

She walked up to the doors of Noriaki's office, and, since they were closed, knocked twice. When she didn't hear a response, she frowned. He usually indicated that she could enter shortly after her knocks, so she wondered if he was alright. Worried, and slightly curious, she opened the door slowly and peeked in, going wide eyed at the sight.

There was Noriaki, sitting at his desk with his head face down on his desk, fast asleep. She frowned as she entered, allowing the door to close behind her. Was something wrong with him? Hikari made her way to his desk, stopping before it. "Mr. Noriaki." She said, trying to get his attention. She decided to try once more. "Mr. Noriaki, wake up." She reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly.

His hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, yanking her down quickly so that her face was right next to his. "Don't ever touch me in my sleep." He said very seriously, before releasing her hand. "What do you want?" the dark haired man asked, rubbing his temples.

"I brought you your milk." She said, straightening to get away from him and holding the glass out, glad that she wasn't visibly shaking from the scare she had just received. "If you need me to run down and get you some espresso in order to stay awake I can. You do have a prospective client coming in at ten-thirty." She reminded.

"I do not require that disgusting filth you people call coffee, nor do I need its help in focusing. I _did_ go to school for a long time you know. As hard as it may be to believe."

She stiffened slightly at his rudeness, which was uncalled for. "I was simply making a suggestion, because quite frankly, you look like shit." She said, setting down the glass on his desk since he hadn't taken it from her.

He scoffed, giving her a small glare as he picked up the glass. "I do not look like shit." He grumbled, attempting to glance at his reflection in anything. "I never look like shit." He said lowly, draining the contents of the glass.

"Fine." She sighed, taking the glass from him. "Crap, hell, a nicely dressed hobo, take your pick." She smirked, placing her hand on her hip and sticking it out slightly. "Now, is there anything else I can do for you sir?"

"No, so judging by the fact you're still here, you want something." Noriaki said, giving her a once over. "Now stop wasting my time and just ask already."

"Maybe later, when you aren't in such a snarky mood." She said, turning and walking to the door. She opened it slightly and looked back at him. "Don't forget, you have a client appointment in about two hours." She reminded, before exiting his office and closing the door behind her.

She smiled to herself as she walked towards the kitchen to wash the cup and spoon she had used. Despite his bad mood, Noriaki looked kind of cute when he was disgruntled. It made her want to tease him, which was freaking her out, because she'd wanted to keep things on a professional level with him. Shaking her head, she entered the kitchen and went over to the sink, beginning to rinse out the cup.

When she finished she went back to her desk and did busywork. And as it got closer to Noriaki's meeting time, Hikari printed out and put together the information he may need while with the client. Straightening the stack of papers, she walked back over to his office doors and knocked three times, waiting to enter until he said so.

"These are the files you will need." She said, placing them neatly on his desk as he continued to type away at his computer. She made a move to leave, but then stopped, giving him an inquisitive look. "So why can't people touch you while you're asleep?" she asked. "Are you weird about touching, or is it some kind of self-defense thing?"

Noriaki let out a slightly annoyed sigh and stopped what he was doing. "No…it's just a thing I guess, I don't like being vulnerable. That and I did master jujitsu, so surprising me isn't a smart thing." He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together, smirking at the white haired woman. "Why, you planning on being near me while we sleep again?"

Hikari chuckled. "That wasn't really sleep, it was more like a state between awake and unconscious." She corrected, holding up a finger. "And no, we will not be sleeping together anytime soon, so you can just forget about it."

"I haven't since we did." Noriaki's smirk grew and he pushed his chair back, kicking his feet up.

"Yes, well, hold on to that memory, because that's all you get." She crossed her arms and hoped that her blushing face didn't give too much away. At the moment she was reliving parts of their night together, most of them of their more heated moments.

"You know all you have to do is ask." He said with a devious glance, looking her over, his eyes lingering on certain areas. He pat his lap then, "I'd be more than willing to help you relieve some work-related stress."

She smiled slightly. "So that's your plan all along, huh? Stress me out with the work _you_ give me, and then offer to sleep with me to get rid of it, making you look like a Good Samaritan. Diabolical, I must say." She smirked, placing her hands on the polished wood and leaning towards him, giving him a bit of a view of her cleavage. "But now that I figured you out, what are you going to do?"

He leaned forward, not one to back down, though his gaze lingered on her chest before he met her own amethyst orbs. "Fuck you anyway?" he questioned, their faces now so close he could feel her breath on his lips. "I know I was the best you'd ever had. And I can do a lot more…" he trailed off, sneaking his hand between her legs and rubbing her thigh slowly.

"That possibility flew out the window the second you became my boss." She said, grabbing his hand and removing it from her person. "Which I've been wondering…why did you want me to be your assistant so badly?" she asked, something making her stay close to him despite knowing it wasn't a good idea. "I mean, Helen is excellent at her job, so why get rid of her for someone you hooked up with?"

Noriaki shrugged, pulling his hand back. "I dunno. I don't think things happen on accident, so when I saw you, I was intrigued. Plus, I don't like my brother having better things than I do." he chuckled, giving her an amused stare. "You catch my eye even now that I've had you."

Hikari blinked. "That's supposed to be a compliment, isn't it." she stated, shaking her head and straightening to put some distance between them. "While I admit that night was phenomenal, if I'd wanted it to continue in any way I would have stayed the next morning. As such, you served your purpose well, and now we can both say we've experienced mind-blowing sex." She said, picking up a stack of papers that Noriaki was obviously finished with so that she could file them.

"Sooner or later sweet little Hikari, you'll be begging me to take you." he chuckled, patting the empty spot in front of him. "Right here."

"We'll see." She smirked. "Now, you're client, Mr. Takanawa, will be here soon. So you need to read through this," she placed her finger on the papers she'd brought him, "because they changed a few things in the last section that I think you'll want to be aware of." She informed him, before turning and leaving his office.

She sighed when she sat down in her chair and shook her head. Well, at least now she wasn't confused out of her mind concerning her working for him. She set the papers on her desk and returned to her work, waiting for the phone to ring to signal to her to go down and retrieve the businessman that was coming, since he would need her security clearance to get through.

"Hello Hikari." Someone said sweetly. The woman looked up and saw Izayoi stopping in front of her desk. "I just came over to see how you're doing and if you like your job so far."

"Hey Izayoi." Hikari smiled. "It's pretty good. I'm kept pretty busy though, so that has its up and down moments of course."

The older woman nodded. "That's good to hear, I hope my brother isn't driving you _too_ crazy."

"Not too much, no." she laughed. The phone at her desk rang then, so she picked it up. "Uchiha Noriaki's office." She said, sounding professional. "Yes, we are expecting him. I'm on my way down now, thank you." she hung up then and stood. "Well I have to go and get a client, are you heading downstairs?" she asked, pointing towards the elevators.

"Actually yes, I was going to meet my husband for lunch today." Izayoi smiled, beginning to walk with the white haired woman. "I spoke with my husband about you Hikari, and he gave us a very good report. Lucky you had ties there over at Ryū Corp, huh?"

"Yeah." She laughed. "My cousin's pretty high up there, so I wasn't too worried. I need to be sure to visit him sometime soon. He just got married, and I have yet to meet his wife." She said as they entered the elevator and began to ride it down to the lobby.

Izayoi blinked. "Oh? You didn't go to the wedding? How come?"

The violet eyed woman sighed. "I couldn't afford to." She said. "His fiancé wanted the wedding to be at some super expensive place across the country, and have the guests stay in some fancy hotel, and I just didn't have the money to do any of that. Plus, I heard she was a bit of a bitch, and _very_ bossy."

"Huh…" the Uchiha blinked as they rode down the elevator in silence. Izayoi had a contemplative look on her face as if she were trying to piece something together. "Well that stinks I suppose. I heard he was your only family left. It would suck to have to be with someone who was controlling and bitching all the time." They stepped out of the elevator together and headed into the lobby.

"Hikari?!" the both heard. The two women looked up and unfortunately, Hikari did not notice the brilliant smile that lit up her superior's face.

"Kai?" Hikari asked, going over to her cousin and hugging him. "It's so good to see you." she smiled. Kai was a tall man with spiky white hair just like his cousin, though the bottom half was black as night, and steely grey eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to pick up my wife for lunch." He said, smiling down at her.

Hikari frowned. "Your snobby wife works here too?" she asked, confused. Kai's eyes widened and he glanced at Izayoi, before back at his cousin. "Who is she?"

"Um…well…" Kai laughed a bit awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as he looked to the ebony haired woman next to his cousin.

Izayoi cleared her throat, "Hello darling." She said sweetly enough, though both could hear the dark tone.

Hikari's eyes widened. "You're the one who married my cousin?!" she pointed at her, completely shocked.

"If you read my office door, it does say Ryū Izayoi." The dark haired woman glared, crossing her arms over her chest.

She blinked. "But everyone else calls you Uchiha Izayoi…" she trailed off.

"That's just because that name is better known around the work place." Kai filled in for his wife, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "But legally, it's Ryū."

"Oh, well…everything I said was just what I had heard." She tried to laugh. "But I think you're nice. I'm really glad you're the one who married my cousin, he's a great guy. Please don't ask your dad to fire me." She jumbled out, looking really apologetic.

Izayoi stared at Hikari with that same dead, scrutinizing look that Noriaki got sometimes. "Well…" she sighed, "I guess we'll see, won't we?" she looked over at her husband and smiled, taking his hand off her shoulder and intertwining her fingers with his. "Come on sweetheart, I'm starving." She kissed his cheek and snuggled into his side before she pulled him off.

Hikari watched them leave, letting out a deep breath. Well she was wonderful at putting her foot in her mouth. She was glad that it was Izayoi her cousin had married though. She had a feeling that she and the ebony haired woman could become pretty good friends. Not to mention that she looked absolutely adorable with Kai. Then it hit her. In a way, she and Izayoi were related, meaning that she was somehow related to Noriaki. And because Kai was the only family she had left, she went to his apartment for the holidays. But now that he had married into a big family, all of the holiday events would be held with the Uchihas, meaning that she would never escape Noriaki and his sexual remarks, no matter how much she tried.

Groaning, she turned and began to walk over to the small sitting area past the receptionist's desk, where a short, balding Japanese man was sitting with a briefcase in his lap. Knowing that he was Mr. Takanawa, she smiled politely, and vowed to never be the one to tell the ebony haired man of the new dynamic in their relationship.


	6. Gauche Thy Name is Talia

**Juxtaposition**

_Chapter Six_

-Gauche Thy Name is Talia-

"Wow." The blonde laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're really just plain retarded aren't you? Did you even read the wedding invitation? The whole, 'You are cordially invited to the joining of Ryū Kai and _Uchiha_ Izayoi.' It's in the fine print." Talia said as she picked up the old wedding invitation Hikari had dug up.

"Oh shut up." Hikari groaned out, rubbing her face with her hands.

Talia simply giggled. She was dressed in a tight, black pencil skirt with a white, short sleeved button up top. Her hair was clipped up in a stylish do and she had on some black, thick rimmed glasses, accompanied with a sexy set of black pumps. She was leaning against her friend's desk with a cart beside her. "Thanks again though for putting a word in for me Hikari, I like this so much better than making coffee. It's easy, I get paid more, and I get to indulge in awesome business attire."

"No problem." The pale haired woman sat back in her chair. "I know it's not much, but this way we can carpool to work, even though we just take a cab." She smiled. "So, have you seen him yet?" she asked, being vague in case anyone was listening.

Talia blushed and looked around. "Not yet…I saved all his mail for last…" she whispered shyly, fiddling nervously with her fingers.

The other woman giggled. "That is so cute!" she quietly squealed. "The second you're done, text me how it goes. I want every detail."

"Yeah, yeah." The blonde waved her off. "I'll tell you." She smiled and picked up the remaining letters since she didn't want her first encounter with the Uchiha to be ruined by anything. She turned around and glanced back. "I'll be back for that later Hikari." She said, just about to turn the corner. But just as she faced forward she collided with someone, who gasped sharply as his coffee was spilled all down his front.

Talia's eyes widened with horror, and then when she saw who it was her heart stopped. She wished she was dead. "Oh my God I'm _so_ sorry!" she cried out. It was the dark haired Uchiha she had just been on her way to visit.

Sanosuke sighed, before looking up at the blonde. He blinked, surprise flashing on his face before it disappeared. "So this is why I had to settle for mediocre coffee this morning." He stated, smirking slightly. "Don't worry, I was contemplating throwing it out, so you saved me the trouble."

The blonde covered her face with her hands to hide the horrible blush that was covering her whole face. "I'm so sorry." She repeated, trying not to cry. "I really, really am. I just ruined your shirt and your jacket."

He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "I have plenty." He reached out and gently took her free hand in his own and pulled it away from her face. "So did you just start?" he asked, smoothing his thumb over the spot he had kissed a few days prior.

Talia looked up from the floor and met his gaze, nodding nervously. She really didn't understand this man. How could he not be angry with her? "Yeah…just today."

The Uchiha nodded, before glancing at what she was holding. "Are those for me?" he asked, releasing her hand and pointing to the mail.

"Oh!" she nodded and handed them over. "Yes, sorry. I was just about to bring them to you before…" she trailed off once more, turning a bright red.

"Is this going to become a habit?" he smirked, gesturing to his wet clothes. "Because if so, I might need to wear my cheaper clothes for the coffee to be spilled on, and then change into my nicer ones afterwards."

Talia could hardly feel her face anymore, "Well…we could just create a safety zone."

He smiled. "Well that wouldn't work, because then I'd have to stay away from you." he tucked his mail underneath his arm and looked at Hikari, his face a mask of seriousness once more. "Inform Noriaki that I will be late. I must change." He instructed, before turning and walking back the way he had come.

Hikari blinked, before looking at her friend. "So…how embarrassed are you right now?" she smirked.

"I wanna jump off the building." Talia sighed, staring at the floor once more. "Man…I'm not even in a coffee shop anymore and I still spill coffee one him." she frowned, walking back over to the cart and grabbing it.

"Hey," the violet eyed woman said, standing and going around her desk to place her hand on the blonde's shoulder. "It wasn't so bad. At least he wasn't angry, and he flirted with you." she said, trying to make her feel better. "Besides, there's always tomorrow. You just have to practice watching where you're going." She smiled.

Talia rolled her eyes. "And you just have to watch your vajay before your boss," she snickered, holding her hand up and forming a V with her pointer and middle finger and flicking her tongue out between her fingers.

Hikari shook her head as the blonde walked off to return the mail cart. There was nothing to worry about, because she wasn't going to sleep with Noriaki again, despite how great she knew it would be. She just needed to stay single until she found a good guy that would take care of her the rest of her life. Sighing, turned to go and tell him that his brother would be late to their meeting.

* * *

Talia sat in the break room a few days later. She was already feeling the effects of being on her feet all day in heels. But she would persevere, because there was no way in hell would she be caught by Sanosuke in anything less. She recalled the last time she'd seen the Uchiha, when she spilt his coffee all over him. He'd played it of like it was nothing, but she had yet to catch him since, and for a good reason. He was probably avoiding her like the plague.

Today she was sporting another tight pencil skirt, with a black blouse, with the sleeves neatly rolled up to her elbows. She just didn't know what to do, what did she expect? The cute, rich lawyer would never have the hots for some poor coffee girl. He probably had some sophisticated heiress that he was going to marry soon and have a bunch of kids to pass off the family business to.

She sighed, picking up her Jamba Juice cup and sipping through the straw as she pushed up her glasses. What a stupid fantasy she had built up in her head.

"So how long do you hide in here each day?" a deep voice asked. "Because I can never find you." Talia's gaze shot over to the doorway and widened when they landed on Sanosuke, who today matched her, wearing black slacks and a black dress shirt with its sleeves rolled up. When she didn't answer, he raised a brow, trying to keep the smile off his face from her obvious surprise.

Unfortunately her brain didn't catch up in time to her mouth. "I don't hide in here." She blurted out, her cheeks turning a light pink.

He smirked and entered the small room, pulling out a chair and sitting next to her. "Then where do you go all the time? Because let me tell you, one person has never been so difficult to find."

"I don't go anywhere." She said simply, finally a little light bulb going off in her head. "Were you looking for me?"

"Yes." He replied.

"But why?" Talia sputtered out, turning an even darker red.

Sanosuke's eyes seemed to warm as the corner of his mouth tilted up just slightly. "Because I wanted to see you, of course."

"Well I figured that much." She growled out, "But _why_?"

His smile widened, and he sat forward in his chair, leaning closer to her face. "Because, you have caught my attention, and I want to explore the concept further." He explained. "I find you to be very…cute."

Talia had to stop herself from falling over by the sudden admission. "You think I'm cute?" she asked softly.

"Yes."

"Oh God, you're drop dead gorgeous." She said without thinking, her eyes widening. "I mean, you're cute too…or handsome." Her blush darkened and she played nervously with her skirt. "Oh God I'm sorry."

He chuckled. "I don't think anyone has ever called me gorgeous before." He rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Though coming from you, it sounds nice."

"R-really?" she stuttered, hitting her palm to her forehead. "Ugh! Stop it Talia, you sound like a moron."

Sanosuke reached out and gently took her hand from her face, cradling it in both of his as he lowered it. "I like the way you speak."

"I'm sorry," she sighed, shaking her head, feeling her face heat up one more. "I'm not usually this nervous. Or flustered, you just make my head all fuzzy. I don't even know how I could always make your drinks perfectly."

"Well I appreciate it, especially when you don't spill them on me." He smirked.

"I'm so sorry about that." She sighed. "I've done it twice already."

"You should stop apologizing about everything." He said, patting her hand. "It's fine, really."

Talia laughed, giving him a small smile. "It's probably best if you let me stay that way. Cause' if I get comfortable around you, I probably won't treat you like my boss anymore."

The Uchiha smirked. "I don't care, I want you to get comfortable around me. And once you start to, well, we'll see where things go from there." He stood then. "I must go, because I have a meeting in about twenty minutes, but I'll see you later. Count on it." he raised her hand and kissed the back of it, smiling before he left the kitchen.

The blonde breathed out, smiling like an idiot. She felt like she was flying. Uchiha Sanosuke thought she was cute and he was going to see her again. Finally, she smirked. She had caught an Uchiha's eye and she was going to keep it. Talia stood and threw out her small lunch. All she had to do now was some recon, because she was going to take this gift and hold onto it as long as she could.


	7. Stalking

**Juxtaposition**

_Chapter Seven_

-Stalking-

Talia peeked around the corner of one of the halls, a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other. Currently, she was spying on the youngest Uchiha present. He was talking with his sister and his secretary about tomorrow morning's breakfast and what he wanted for himself. She scribbled down the things he said, noting the ones where he looked extremely pleased. She'd been closely watching Sanosuke for the past two weeks now, and since then he'd come to see her, and even surprised her with bringing her lunch.

So far, she'd discovered that he woke up early, but not too early, and worked out before showering and readying for work. He got his coffee, which he was growing more and more irritated with as the days passed on. He had fried eggs and three strips of bacon waiting for him every morning in his office. He preferred his meetings in the morning, so that he could focus on the company in the afternoon, and go home.

He didn't like to stay late, but he would until he finished all his work, plus anything his employees needed help with. He even called his mother once a day to check in. The more Talia found out, the more she felt herself falling for the man. He was just _too_ amazing, and in her stalking, she'd yet to see a woman, or ever hear of one.

She was even more determined than before to have him. She would definitely be pursuing him with all she had. Suddenly, she realized that she no longer heard them speaking and her brows furrowed in confusion and before she could realize what was happening, she was face to face with the subject of her infatuation.

"So," Sanosuke smirked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "Do you…" he glanced down at her pad, before looking back at her, "need any more information about me and my habits? Because I'd be more than happy to fill you in."

Talia shrunk down, blushing darkly. "I'm not spying on you I swear!" she almost shouted, hiding her notes despite the fact he'd seen them.

"Well…I have you on videotape…and have actually seen you following me a few times." He told her.

"What?!" she gasped, "But I was being so stealthy!"

He snorted lightly. "About as stealthy as a peacock." He said, reaching out and plucking the pad from her grip so that he could look over her notes. "Hm." His brow furrowed slightly and he pushed away from the wall. "These are very good." he began to flip the pages back to read everything else she had written.

Talia screamed at herself in her head. How could she be so stupid as to be caught with all her notes? "Well, I'm very good at my job when I put my mind to it…" she mumbled, staring down at the ground in shame. She probably looked like a psycho now and he'd want nothing to do with her.

He took a few more minutes to look them over, before returning his deep green gaze to her. "You're perfect." He said softly, almost sounding in awe.

She blinked and looked up at him, extremely confused. "Huh?"

"Come." He said, grabbing her hand and leading her over to his secretary and sister, who were still talking. "Cindy, teach Talia how to be a secretary. You have two days, starting now." He ordered, bringing the blonde forward.

Cindy looked at him with wide eyes. "What?" she breathed out, looking at the blonde before back to her boss.

"You heard me. Talia is going to replace you as my secretary." Sanosuke said. "You will be compensated for your work, and can either take her job as the mail clerk, or find a new job. If you choose the second option, you will be given a nice severance package."

Izayoi and Talia both looked perplexed. The dark haired woman cleared her throat. "I'm sorry…what's going on?" she asked, looking between Talia and her brother.

"Talia is perfect and I want her." Sanosuke told his sister. "To be my secretary." He clarified.

"But she's the mail girl." Izayoi huffed. "She doesn't have the credentials nor the experience we require here. Sanosuke you can't just go around bending all the rules like this." she said with a bit of an annoyed look, since her perfect company policy was being tarnished. "I'm telling father." She told him before walking off.

The blonde woman just stood there, tapping her cheek. "I don't understand what's happening…" she sighed, looking over at Sanosuke. "So…you want _me_ to be your secretary?"

"Yes." He said again. "Excuse me while I go and correct my sister." He said, heading after the ebony haired woman.

Cindy watched them leave, before sighing. "Well come on, I'd better start teaching you, because there's a _lot_ to learn." She said, waving her over towards her desk.

"Uh…okay." She nodded, sitting down in the offered seat. Apparently, she was getting a raise.

* * *

Akito gave both of his children a blank look. "No." he said simply. "Izayoi is right." he told them, making his daughter beam in her victory.

Sanosuke frowned. "But Father, she takes excellent notes, and has perfect penmanship. And she makes the most amazing coffee I have ever tasted."

"I don't care Sano, at this company we have rules. Rules that everyone must follow-"

"You mean like how Nori follows them?" the young Uchiha crossed his arms and gave his elder a hard look.

"That is different. Hikari is actually qualified to be a personal assistant, and was going to be hired anyways." Akito argued. "Not to mention she passed Izayoi's inspection. This girl you want hasn't, because it doesn't take that much skill to be a mail clerk. A simple background check is enough."

"Not to mention she's from the lower class." Izayoi pointed out, still glowing in her pride.

Sanosuke glared at his sister. "Are you insinuating that people less fortunate than us cannot hold good positions, nor deserve them? Because I would think that-"

"Father!" they heard from behind them as the door opened. Noriaki and another extremely similar dark haired man walked in. They looked almost exactly alike, aside from their expressions and the slight differences in their faces and stances. "Guess what we got!" they said together, holding up a contract.

That was when they took notice of the company in the room. "Whoa." Noriaki said.

"What's going on?" the other asked.

"Is Sano in trouble?" the more aggressive of the two snickered.

Akito sighed. Could this get any more dramatic? "No."

Sanosuke looked to his elders. "Father simply will not allow me a new secretary simply because she has no degree and is, as Iza so _kindly_ put it," he sneered, "of a lower class. But she does everything I want her to do, the way I want her to do it."

"Well if she doesn't have a degree…" the other dark haired man sighed.

"Thank you Kanamé." Izayoi smiled.

But Noriaki scoffed. "Who the fuck cares? Why can't Sano have his pretty little blonde? All he does is follow her around anyways and flirt with her like a high school boy. Why not just let her do it?"

"Because I said so!" Akito said. "I am tired of you all thinking you can just undermine me here at the office. I am the boss, and what I say goes."

Sanosuke smirked and pulled out his phone, unlocking it. Akito's eyes widened. "Sano don't you-" but it was too late, for the young Uchiha had pressed his mother's speed dial and brought the phone to his ear.

"Mother, dad is denying me happiness." He said. Then he held the phone out to Akito. "She wants to talk to you."

Akito glared and snatched the phone from his son's hand. "Hello." He almost sighed, before moving the phone away from his ear so that his eardrum wasn't damaged too badly by his wife's yells.

"_Why are you harassing my babies AGAIN Akito! Sano never calls me unless he is being oppressed by his abusive father! Just because I'm not there to watch you like a hawk Mr. Uchiha, doesn't mean you can run my sweet innocent boys into the ground! This is one call too much! I'm coming down there and you all better be in that office when I arrive!_" Click.

"Damnit!" Akito shouted angrily, startling all of his children. He wiped his hand down his face and let out a harsh breath, before looking at them. "Your mother is on her way, and you are all expected to be present for her arrival." He announced.

Izayoi's eyes widened. "But Daddy! That's no fair!" She hurried forward, giving him the saddest jade gaze she could. "How could you let Mommy control you like that? You are her superior and the patriarch of our family, and she just bullies you!"

"Just like Kai is your superior, Iza?" Sanosuke raised a brow at her.

"Shut up." Akito ordered, handing his son his phone back. "Just shut up, all of you. I don't want one word to leave your mouths until your mother gets here, and even then, it better be minimal." He walked over to his desk and leaned against it, training his gaze on the door.

It was in that moment that Kanamé and Noriaki exploded. "What?! We have work to do! We aren't even involved in this matter!"

"Then you should stop bursting into my office!" Akito shouted at them, making them both close their mouths. "It's about time Izayoi stopped being the only one to show me some respect around here. Now shut your mouths. The next person to speak will be forced to do everyone else's busy work for the next three months. Am I clear?"

All four of the children shut their mouths and stood beside one another, all angry in their own right. Akito sat back down, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Oh God why…?" he grumbled, shaking his head.

* * *

All four secretaries, and Talia, peered around the corner, staring at the president's door. "They've been in there a really long time." Talia said softly.

"I wonder what's going on that Mr. Uchiha needs all of his children for." Izayoi's secretary, Mona, wondered.

"It's gotta be something big." Hikari said. "Mr. Noriaki and Mr. Kanamé both went in there with good news. Perhaps they are discussing it?"

Helen shook her head. "Mr. Uchiha was yelling, that means it's something bad."

"If all the boys are in there, Mrs. Uchiha is most likely involved." Cindy sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if that arrogant woman showed up. She likes to handle things that don't have anything to do with her."

Mona huffed, "If you had as many children as the president's wife does then you'd be the same way."

"What's she like?" Hikari asked.

Helen looked at her. "Beautiful but mean. And not in a super bitchy way, just in a, 'I'm right and you better do as I say or you're dead' way."

"And she usually is…" Cindy sighed. "She's like Mrs. Izayoi, except not as cold. She can calm the Uchiha men with nothing but a smile."

"Holy crap." Talia breathed out. "That's insane. If she has five gorgeous kids she must be like…a goddess."

"Oh she is." Helen nodded. "I've only met her once, because it's rare for her to need to some down here to straighten out her family. Usually they handle it before she needs to be brought in."

Hikari scoffed. "Wow, she sounds like a force to be reckoned with, to be able to handle them all."

That was when they all heard the click of heels, and the steps were powerful and full of focus. The older secretaries giggled. "There she is." They said, straightening and glancing back. "Three…"

"Two…" Helen smirked.

"One…" Cindy sighed.

It was then that a woman with short pink hair turned the corner of the corridor. She was dressed in expensive clothes, and it was obvious by her appearance that she was well catered too. She had on a white dress with a gorgeous black design, a white long coat and matching white pumps. She even had on white Prada sunglasses to complete her look. Everything about her radiated beauty and power. She looked like the type that could back it up too.

"I don't think I've ever been so intimidated by a woman before." Talia shrank down a bit.

"I love her." Hikari whispered, eyeing her fabulous wardrobe. She needed to get an outfit like that. It was amazing.

As she got closer to them, Mrs. Uchiha pushed up her sunglasses so they were sitting on the top of her head. "Hello girls." She smiled, giving them all a nod, her jade eyes sparkling with determination. "Might want to listen in, it'll be a good show this time." She winked, passing them and opening the door to her husband's office. The other three secretaries hurried after her, since the pink haired woman hadn't closed the door fully. Hikari grabbed Talia's hand, dragging her along as she rushed after the other women, who had left the door just barely cracked open so that they could all watch.

Akito immediately pushed off of his desk upon his wife's entrance. "Natsumi, sweetheart, please allow me to explain before you jump to conclusions."

Natsumi raised her hand and Akito instantly shut up. She pulled off her coat and held it out, Noriaki immediately taking it from her. She turned to Sanosuke and gave him a dazzling smile, cupping his cheeks with her hands. "Now tell me my young love, what has daddy done to make you so distraught?"

Sanosuke smiled fully. "I want a new secretary Mommy." He said. "I found the perfect woman. She takes notes the way I like, makes really good coffee, and cute, and there's something about her that I can't explain. But when I see her, warmth spreads from here." He placed his hand over his heart. Then he frowned. "But father won't let me teach her how to be my assistant because she doesn't have a degree and isn't as fortunate as we are. And Kanamé and Iza agree with him. Nori is the only one on my side, as weird as that is." He explained.

The older woman's gaze softened until she met her husband's. She glared at him with the most threatening aura that even the ladies out front could feel. "You are denying my sweet boy the opportunity at love because the poor girl is not as wealthy as us?" she asked sharply.

"No!" Akito said emphatically. "She isn't qualified for the job. We only hire people who have the necessary skills."

"Taking notes and scheduling meetings doesn't require a degree." Sanosuke cut in before his mother could speak. "She's the only person who can make my coffee the way I like father. Do you know how important that is to me?"

The elder man shook his head. "No. No, no, no, no, no." he said with a tone of finality. Then he looked at Natsumi. "No." he pointed at the pink haired woman.

Natsumi gave him a hard stare and set her hands on her hips, which caused all the Uchiha children to go wide eyed. "Uchiha Akito." She spoke, full of authority. "If you don't want to be punished severely later then you better do as I say. You will give my baby what he wants. It's his secretary, so he can pick whomever he likes. I saw the blonde girl on my way in and she is absolutely adorable! Plus her shoes are to die for! So you better go buy some for me in black, white, grey, and silver." She huffed, stepping forward and pointing her finger in his face. "Do you hear me? Do not deny my boy what he wants, or you will suffer a wrath greater than your father's when he found out we defiled his bed with thirteen hours of sex."

Akito crossed his arms, a pout coming to his face. "What is the point in my running this company of nobody does as _I_ say?" he huffed. There were a few seconds of silence, before he sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Very well." He conceded. "But she better be able to do her job tomorrow, or she's fired."

"But Father, I gave her two days to learn." Sanosuke said.

"Too bad. You have so much faith in her after all, so it should come easily to her. And if she _really_ wants this job, she'll learn." Akito said. "That is my only condition."

Both Sanosuke and Noriaki opened their mouths to protest, since even Noriaki knew that was asking a bit much. But Natsumi raised her hand and silenced them as she had to Akito before. "Be quiet." She ordered, giving them a threatening glare. "You have all gotten what you wanted and I expect you to perform as you are expected. You are Uchiha and thus are set at high standards. I don't want to get _another_ call this week, do you understand? You are all children, nonetheless subordinates to your father, and if you do not respect him you will all be fired. Do you understand?" she asked, getting nods from them all.

Natsumi shifted her gaze to Izayoi. "Stop telling on your brothers and relax. Why don't you take some time off and just have sex with your husband? What good is he for if he's not helping you relieve stress, and you him?" the dark haired girl blushed, actually looking awkward.

Then she turned to Noriaki. "Stop disrespecting your father, or I will come down here again and humiliate you like the child you are in front of your pretty little secretary." She warned, getting a nod from the middle triplet.

She turned back to Akito and smiled, walking to him and kissing his cheek. "I love you sweetheart. Are we still going on a date tonight?"

Akito wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him, giving her a chaste kiss. "Of course we are baby. You know I enjoy showing you a good time." He smirked, kissing her once more.

She giggled and kissed him back, nuzzling into his hold. "Wonderful, I'll see you tonight then my sweet love." She said, pulling away from him. Noriaki held her jacket out to her as she passed and she pulled it on. "Goodbye sweeties. Be good." she waved and headed for the door.

The ladies outside scurried away, pretending like they hadn't heard the whole thing. Natsumi came out and gave them all a gorgeous smile. "Have a wonderful day girls." She said, pulling her shades down and disappearing down the hall.

"She's fantastic." Hikari said in awe.

"Did that really just happen?" Talia asked.

Mona nodded. "Oh yes… she is a very powerful woman indeed."

The women all looked back at the door then as the Uchiha children exited their father's office. Knowing that their little 'break time' was over, each hurried off to their desks. "Good luck." Hikari whispered to Talia, since Sanosuke was walking straight for her. Then she turned and walked in stride with Noriaki back towards his office.

Sanosuke stopped before the blonde woman. "Do you wish to become my new assistant?" he asked, since it hadn't occurred to him that she might want to say no.

"If you want me to I will." She said softly, studying his face carefully.

His brow furrowed slightly. "I do…but I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do. It's not going to be a cakewalk, and I'm not always the pleasant person you see all the time."

"Oh trust me." Talia scoffed. "I've been following you long enough to see what happens when you get pissy. I can handle it." She smirked, but then froze, her eyes widening as her cheeks turned a dark pink. "Um…I mean…"

A smirk came to his face. "Well, at least you're a stalker that I won't want to put a restraining order on."

"Well it's not like I have to stalk you anymore anyways." She huffed, looking off as she crossed her arms.

Sanosuke chuckled. "Excellent. Now come." He said, wrapping his arm around her waist and turning her around, before leading her back towards the hallway where his desk was located. "Cindy will teach you everything you need to know today, and you may want to ask Hikari to give you some pointers about being an assistant as well. Because if you don't pass my father's test, he's probably going to fire you." he told her as he pressed the button to go down.

Talia nodded. "I can do it." She said confidently.

"I know you can." He smiled down at her, rounding the corner. He let out a pleased sigh as the doors to his office came into view, as well as the desk that he would see Talia at every day. Finally, he would have good coffee in the mornings.


End file.
